Banishing and Chunk of Gold duck Forever Young in the Jockey Club Gold Cup

Both were scratched from Friday's Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) and will return to action on September 26 in Kentucky; the former could point to either the Ack Ack (G3) or the Lukas Classic (G2), which has been selected as the intended target for the latter

ELMONT, New York (Special for Turf Diario).— Friday's highly anticipated Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Belmont ParkHacer clic para abrir el panel lateral y obtener más información has lost a pair of high-profile contenders. Banishing, winner of this season's Godolphin Mile (G2), and Chunk of Gold, a stakes winner and one of the most consistent performers on the American circuit, have been withdrawn by their respective trainers and will divert their campaigns toward Churchill Downs.

In the case of Banishing, the decision was announced Tuesday morning by trainer and co-owner David Jacobson. The son of Ghostzapper will now be aimed at one of two major fixtures scheduled for September 26 in Louisville: the $400,000 Ack Ack Stakes (G3-1600m) or the $500,000 Lukas Classic Stakes (G2-1800m).

“We’re going to look at either the Lukas Classic or the Ack Ack. We analyzed the opportunities and felt it made more sense for the horse to run in Kentucky. Forever Young is a very, very good horse,” Jacobson explained, speaking candidly regarding the daunting challenge posed by the Japanese sensation.

The formidable presence of Forever Young continues to reshape race fields. Trained by Yoshito Yahagi, the reigning Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) and Saudi Cup (G1) champion stands out as the undisputed poster boy for the Jockey Club Gold Cup and a fierce hurdle for anyone standing in the way of his title defense at Keeneland.

Owned by Jacobson in partnership with Sharaf Mohammed Al Hariri and Lawrence Roman, Banishing has assembled a top-class record. At age 6, the chestnut boasts 11 wins, 7 seconds, and 3 thirds from 32 starts, with lifetime bankrolls exceeding $3.2 million.

His signature victory came in March, when he captured the Godolphin Mile on Dubai World Cup night at Meydan. That defining performance cemented his place among the elite older horses on the international stage and broadened his horizons for the second half of the year.

For now, Jacobson is keeping both options on the table. The Ack Ack would mark a return to one mile, whereas the Lukas Classic would mean stretching out to 1800 meters to lock horns with several of the division's top older horses in the United States.

That latter race will serve as the next target for Chunk of Gold, whose scratch from the Jockey Club Gold Cup was also confirmed Tuesday by trainer Ethan West. In his case, logistical hurdles played the primary role in the decision.

“Things just weren’t aligning in our favor to get up there, so we decided to stick with our original plan,” West noted regarding the Terry Stephens representative.

Chunk of Gold's rise remains one of the season's most compelling storylines. Purchased for a mere $2,500 at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale, he is on the verge of reaching millionaire status, having accumulated $951,511 in career earnings to date.

A graded stakes winner and a fixture in major stakes races, he is a full brother to stakes winner Band of Gold. Both are out of the Cairo Prince mare Play for Gold, a half-sister to two-time graded stakes winner My Boy Jack (No Nay Never).

While the scratches of Banishing and Chunk of Gold take a toll on field depth, the Jockey Club Gold Cup retains its premier drawing card: the return of Forever Young. Meanwhile, the two defectors will seek more favorable ground in Kentucky, with the Lukas Classic looming as a potential crossroads where their paths may cross again.